The present invention relates to an image pickup apparatus and an image pickup method and, more particularly, to an image pickup apparatus and an image pickup method which are adapted to easily and properly select imaging modes.
For example, digital still cameras have imaging mode capabilities that automatically set imaging conditions (shutter speeds and aperture values, for example) suitable for objects of imaging (scenes and peoples, for example) and imaging environments (outdoor and indoor, for example) by selecting prepared imaging modes.
When starting an imaging operation, a user selects an icon representing an imaging mode suitable for a subject of imaging and imaging environment from among several imaging modes (night scene mode, portrait mode, and scene mode, for example) displayed on the monitor section of the digital still camera, the predetermined imaging conditions assigned to the selected imaging mode are set (refer to patent document 1 shown below, for example). Namely, by use of this capability, the user can set optimum imaging conditions only through the selection of an imaging mode without having to individually set imaging conditions suitable for object of imaging and imaging environment.
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2002-10133
In performing an imaging operation with imaging conditions set as described above, the user must learn by heart what each icon signifies (or which icon represents which mode) and the effects of the imaging modes. If the user cannot learn these by heart, the user must reference camera's instruction manuals for example in each case. Therefore, with related-art digital still cameras, there is a problem of taking a lot of trouble in selecting suitable imaging modes.